Third Culture Kids & Company

INFP Me

I’ve mentioned my INFPness before, but this representation is one of the most succinct and clear descriptions I’ve ever run across.

The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator looks at a person’s preferences. Based on the input received it then categorizes the person into one of 16 personality types. The instrument focuses on the following 4 continua:

1. Extroversion – Introversion This deals with where one gets energized and has their proverbial tanks filled.

2. Sensing – INtuition Do you rely on your senses to know things or do you lean more towards your ability to pull information together from random places to know things?

3. Thinking – Feeling Which is your default for decision making? Your head or your heart?

4. Judging – Perceiving I hate these terms. What they refer to is closure and organizational issues. Are you a file-it or a pile it? Do you like to have your schedule planned well in advance or do you like more spontaneity in you life?

Generally we slide along the scale from one side to the other. However, some of us have strong preferences.

I might act like an extrovert at times, but I need my introvert time if I’m going to thrive. Too much acting like an extrovert takes a toll on me. It’s not just social or psychological, it’s also physical. Sometimes I’m weepy when I haven’t had enough down time. Sometimes I get extra cranky. At other times I become ill–or at least more susceptible to germs headed in my direction.

I would love to live the organized, everything has a place and everything is in it’s place J life. It’s not in me. I sometimes feel like a small cyclone walks into a room with me and turns everything into a small disaster area. I can usually find what I need when I need it, but I doubt Real Simple or Better Homes and Gardens will ever want to do a photo shoot of my spaces.

Over the last decade my head and my heart have come a little closer together on the scale. My instinct is to let my heart rule, but that’s not always the best thing to do. While I can’t help starting with my heart, I’ve learned to check it more often with the logical side of my brain. This causes more than a little internal conflict–especially on days when I need to be in charge and get to make some tough decisions.

I’m much more of a global thinker who pulls random pieces of information together to form a conclusion than I am a biblical Thomas who wants some empirical proof. In fact, when faced with some strong sensory proof, my inquisitve (skeptical?) side wonders if this is irrefutable or will be people be laughing at us in a generation or two because the body of knowledge has changed so drastically.

So, that’s me. I’m an INFP. I think it describes me well. I like who I’ve been created to be–even if it involves cyclonic activity that has nothing to do with a Dyson.

What about you? Where does the MBTI place you? How do you feel about it?

If you know your MBTI results, you can find the heads here. The stress heads are in a tab on the same page. If you don’t know what type you are, there are free versions of the instrument all over the interwebs that should give you a fairly accurate picture of yourself. You may have to register, but you shouldn’t have to pay anything. Just google it!

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5 Responses to “INFP Me”

ISFJ- WOW, that’s pretty darn accurate! Makes sense why kids goofing off loudly when they’re supposed to be cleaning reeeeeally drives me up the wall! Worst time of day. I think I need to show these pictures to the hubby. Comforting to know that I’m not completely whacked for no reason.

Love that you are finally back. I missed you! And love this post to know more about you. You should post something about how different types relate to the other types. Might be interesting? No matter what “they” might say, though we are different types, (INTJ), I still love you dearly and miss you dreadfully!

Aimee–Now you know! One of the things I like best about the MBTI is the way it fosters understanding of not only yourself, but also of those around you. Now if you can figure out your kids, you can help each other understand your whole family and how to work together better. Good stuff!

Judy–That would be interesting! I’ll have to mull that over–how to do it in 500 words or less. We’ll see. I think it’s great to around people who are different types. It makes life much more interesting! I miss you so much! Come to CO!

I’ve looked at those heads very carefully, and decided I’m most like an ENFP. The problem is I’m borderline between I and E, and between P and J. Or at least I was when we were at Wheaties U. Maybe I would come up differently now. I think I’ve definitely become more of an extrovert par la force des choses…
I remember all our conversations about this stuff, and our little INFP club with Kelly Carpenter…

Soul, I see you function as both E and I and Pa and J. I think your J tendencies come out because you live with a P or two. I think it would be nice to be able to fluctuate between and E and and I . . . I can act like an E for a while, but then I’m exhausted. And I would love to have a J’s organizational skills, but I don’t. So, I just embrace the spontaneity and work at containing the mess.

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Sheryl O’Bryan

I'm Sheryl O'Bryan and this is my bio section. I've basically been a missonary for a long time. I used to live in Africa but now I live in Colorado and travel the world taking care of anything and everything that has to do with Third Culture Kids!

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Third Culture Kid

A Third Culture Kid is an individual who, having spent a significant part of their developmental years in a culture other than their parent's home culture, develops a sense of relationship to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Elements of each culture are incorporated into the life experience,but the sense of belonging is in relationship to those of similar experience.
- From Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds by Dave Pollock and Ruth Van Reken